Aiken Elementary School

2050 Pine Log Road

School District

Aiken 01
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 07, 2023

It certainly easy to criticize a school and it staff, as I’m one of the first ones to do it. They had a lot of change in the staff, including principal and assistant principal. Last year I wasn’t too happy about that. However, on defense of the new principal, Miss Brooks, she truly is very engaged in the students, well-being and education.. if I’m not mistaken, she came from a high school assistant principal. She is very engaged with the children and their entire families and bringing people together, which is awesome . When we first moved here a year and a half ago we put her on the list to go to a charter school and just recently received a call to get her into horse Creek Academy. I was truly excited when we got the call, but believe when you have children who have friends at a school that it’s detrimental to relocating them to another school. So she will remain at Aiken Elementary .. where I feel like she is flourishing because the principal make sure she gets what she needs in her education and emotional support. Those things are truly detrimental to a child growing up..
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2019

I just am disappointed instead of trying to get to buy cookie dough for crap prizes show about getting the funds from the state to support kids that hv disabilities that provide services they kid
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2016

This is only an excerpt from the letter that I am hand-delivering to the ACPSD this morning: How can we expect the same academic achievement, empathy, fundamental life-long lessons from teachers who are responsible for almost double the number of students? Furthermore, we cannot expect the same nurturing and individual care from teachers who are supported by an “average” leader, who only strives for “average” performance...Needless to say, the turnover of teachers at Aiken Elementary has also been underreported on the website. The teachers who educated based on greater academic demand and competition, and who had greater expectations of our children have moved on since the new leadership transition a few years back.
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2016

My child attended this school for three years and I regret we wasted so many years hoping this school would get their act together. The principal & administration is a joke. I've met with the principal on several occasions discussing my child's special education needs but was only met with no solutions. Instead of placing a qualified special education teacher in the inclusion class they choose to move that teacher to a general education class. The teacher who would teach the special education inclusion class would have no experience working with children with disabilities. This school does not even understand the different types of learning disabilities. The IEP process was a joke. While they performed the tests - they were very vague but very good at showing some progress so they wouldn't get a trouble legally, despite the fact my child was still 2 years behind his peers. My child was struggling & it was not only impacting him academically but emotionally. To be honest she seem very uncaring & distant. I had always heard great things about this school but I am sicken at the state of affairs. I can also agree, the teachers are hit and miss. It seems to me that your child will do ok here if he/she was no academic issues as my sister in law's kid goes here, but does not have any issues academically, only social which they do a great job at addressing with ABA therapy, but other than that, your child will most likely be left behind the crowd. We left the school about 2 years ago and I never wrote a review. I am not the type of person who writes a review but I felt this was worth mentioning so other parents don't waste their children's precious education years on this school. *Since leaving the school my child has made more progress in one year than he did 3 years at Aiken Elementary. It is sad that I have to drive 35 minutes away from my home to take my school to his new school when Aiken Elementary is less than a mile from my house. However, it is worth every mile to ensure my son is receiving an education that will address his academic & overall well being.
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2014

I attended Aiken Elementary as a child. When it came time for my own child to attend school, we made sure we were zoned for Aiken El. Things have changed drastically. We gave the teachers and administration multiple chances to challenge our child and to answer our concerns. Administrators especially only seemed to care that children were following the strict rules--who gave a darn about their education. Any attempts to encourage challenging my child were met with confusion. "Why do you care so much? Your child is ahead!" Yes, and I'd like my child to STAY ahead, thanks very much. There were multiple behavior problems in the classroom, including 6 year olds dropping the F bomb, hitting teachers, throwing objects, and receiving little to no punishment. Teacher quality is hit or miss. I saw many instances where teachers behaved with little concern for professionalism. One particular incident was a kindergarten teacher screaming at a parent in car line who's child was mistakenly put on a bus: "Move on! It ain't like she's even here!" I ended up pulling my child out after the Christmas break. We are very happy in our new school.
Submitted by teacher on June 12, 2013

Aiken El had gone down since the new principal. Everyone complained about Cagle.. now with her being retired, this Becky lady is a mess. ALL parents and TEACHERS now miss the water since the well hasd run dry. Becky blows parents off, doesn't make teachers produce lesson plans or upload fusion pages.She tols a preant that lesson plans aren't fro parents to look at .. really well check out Hammon Hill website ALL grades have lesson plans posted from day one until the lst day of school. Aiken El is not what it use to be.. sorry leadership . They always say students can learn from each other.. AIken El need to learn from Hammond Hill.. ONE OF THE top schools in SC
Submitted by parent on July 18, 2011

Aiken Elementary LEAVES children BEHIND!! Was new to the area- heard that this was one of the best schools in the area. NOT!! It has a very RIGID environment, NOT WELCOMING or caring at all!! If your child needs any special or extra help with anything... GOOD LUCK getting it!! They will just be LEFT BEHIND to FAIL- and you will NOT HEAR ANYTHING from the teachers until you see it on the report card. Don't bother asking to talk to the principal- apparenlty she doesn't deal with parents! Seriously??!!! And the asst. principal is a waste of breathable airspace!! Sure they have some awards- as long as you don't expect much and don't care to be involved- and as long as your child fits in to their "normal" standards- you'll do just fine. The best care/concern my child received was when she had a poison ivy rash and went to the nurse's office!